Biography
Biography: Varun Agrawal
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease. Statins (or HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors) have been shown in clinical trials to reduce cardiovascular events in chronic kidney disease, but are not effective in patients receiving dialysis. While statins are clearly indicated in patients with coronary artery disease or diabetes mellitus to reduce cardiovascular risk, it is not clear if patients with chronic kidney disease without these cardiovascular risk factors benefit from receiving statin therapy. Professional organizations provide different guidelines for use of statins in chronic kidney disease that may confuse the primary care physicians. Current evidence on use of statins in chronic kidney disease will be reviewed. Expert recommendations on how to optimally reduce cardiovascular risk with statins in chronic kidney disease will be provided.
